Gate latch



C. CAMPBELL Oct. 10, 1933.

GATE LATCH Filed April 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

C. CAMPBELL GATE LATCH Oct. 10, 1933.

Filed April '7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYJ,

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 1,929,479 I k V ,GATELATCH Galvin Campbell, Denver, 0010., assignor 'to'The Colorado Fuel and .Iron Company, Denver,-

Color I Application April 7, 1931. Serial No. 528.345; 4 Claims. ((31. 292-3) v This "invention relates to gate-latches and its principal object is .to provide a latch mechanism of simple construction and easily operated to.

lock or unlock a swinging gate to which it is ap- 's i d, I ,1: The invention is particularly adapted for use on double gates and another object of the inven: tion resides in the provision of a latching device which positively prevents the gates from 10' swinging open after they have been fastenedby thedevice. r V 7 'An added improvement. is found in the provision of means in association with the latch,by which the gate or gatesmay be locked in the closed position against being opened byunauthorized persons, and still further objects reside in details of construction and novel and advane tageous arrangements and combinations of parts as will be fully: disclosed in the course of the followingdescription.

In the accompanying drawings, V Figured represents the latch device in the closed position relative to double gates to which it is applied,

the open condition, I a

.Figure 3. is an enlargedview of the handle of the latch device, looking .-in the direction of the arrqwsBinFigure 2, Q Figure-4 is anhenlarged horizontal-section taken. on either of the lines. 44 in Figure 1, v

Figure; 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown inFigure 4, looking in the direction of the arw 5.- q

Fig-ure 6 is a side elevation of the samev parts looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Figure 4; and 1 u Figure '7, a section taken on the line '7-7,

Figure 4. a V

Like :characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

The latching device has been shown in connection with a pair of swinging gates 5, each composed of a rectangular frame 6 formed of pipe, and a woven wire fabric 7 stretched inside the same. Obviously the construction and form of the gates may be varied without material change in the construction ofthe latching appliance.

The gates which as usual are mounted to swing about hinges at their outer ends, have their I inner ends slightly spaced apart when in their closed position. A vertically movable and vertically extending operating bar 8 isalined with a keeper 9 on the ground below the gates. Two

the function of which is later more fullypointed Figure 2 shows the latch device of Figurel, in-

vertically spaced latch units are operatively a s-.

sociated with the bar and each latch unit com-,1 prises a collar 10 clamped around one of the up-[ right members 12' of the frame of one of the gates. Thecollars are] composed oftwo flanged. 60,, halves or collar members 13 and 14 secured t o-. gether by bolts 15 and 16.- Qne of the halves,

of the collar towit, collar member 13 carriesa. relatively horizontal projecting arm 17. which partially-embraces, the. upright member 18 of 5 the frame of the'gate," opposite tothat to which the collarsare applied, the arm, being preferably .formed'as an integralpart of the collar-section from which it projects. The other collar mem-,' ber 14 carries a laterally projecting'portion that provides a support or bracket for the latch member hereinafter mentioned and described more] specifically and italso carries an apertured ear out. V I

One of the boltslfi' by which the collar. is

clamped upon the frame-member of one. of the gates, ismade sufliciently long to serve as at'pivot for a latch-member 19, which when the-gates are closed projects opposite the-arm 17 at the other side of the frame member-of the other. gate, whenthe'latching device is in" its closing position. The latch member 19 rests 'onthe' bracket justmentioned, to wit, the bracket herein designated 23 i 11-.

The pivoted latch member hasat-one side "of a projecting arm 23', anintegral sleeve20 around the operating bar and'a't oppositesides of-the sleeve, reenforcing flanges 21 and'22.

The bar .8 is preferably of rectangular section 90: and the openingof the sleeve extends vertically and in one general direction and, is made of tapering form topermit of a relative pivotal, movement of the latch-member in one direction,

with two'ofits' sidesparallel;andiniclose proximity to opposite sides of the vertically extending 'bar to prevent displacement of'the latchin a direc tion at right angles to that of its pivotal motion. Two vertically spaced collars 24 fastened to the bar by set-screws 25, above and below the 99 sleeve,.support the latch-member and prevent its displacement in a vertical direction, and one of the, flanges 22 of the latch member has an apertured ear 26 registering with a correspondingly formed ear 27 on a bracket 28 formed on the half of the collar opposite to that carrying the arm 17, for the application of a padlock when the latching appliance is in its closed position.

The operating bar 8 is furthermore provided with a double handle 29 projecting at opposite L19 be moved from itsclosed position.

tion on the bar by merely changing the position of the collars 24, and more than two units may be assembled on the bar, if sodesired. w, p

.In Figure 1 of the drawings, the latching appliance is shown in the position in which it locks the gates, while Figure 2 shows the appliance in the position in which the gates are released for free'swinging motion about their hinges; 7

Referring to Figure 1, it is to be noted that the operating bar is at its lower end 'held in the keeper which may be composed of two U-shaped anchors set in a block of cement.- The'arms 17 on the collars and the arms 21 of the latch-members conjointly embrace the'frame of the gate opposite to that to which thecollars are fastened, and the two gates are thus securely locked against conjoint or relative movement about their'hinges; In other gate latches -at present in use, it is possible to swing one gate or both gates even though the latch is in the closingposition. In

the present latching device, this is notpossible. The bar must be lifted beforeeither gate can To unfasten thegates, the bar is lifted by means of one of its handledthereby releasing its lower end from the keeper. The upward movement of' the bar causes the latch members of. thevtwounits to move about 40 their respective pivots, with the result that their arms are raised to the positionzshownin Figure 2, out of thepath' oi. the gate across which they normally projected. 1 Y c The gates are thus free tojbe moved about their hinges, and when they are subsequently returned to their. closed position, theyareautomatically latched by the downward movement of the bar into its keeper, when released.

If it is desired to preventthe gates from being unfastened by unauthorized persons, a padlock may be applied to the registering ears 26 and 27 of the collar and the latch memberof either unit, which secures the latch'member against pivotal movement on the collar. v I

. It isto be clearly understood that the keepers 9 function only as ameans to keep the gates in alinement and that, the latching mechanism, as shown and described, will in itself maintain-the gates in their lockedand relatively fastened po- 1 sition independent of the keepers. Therefore,

under favorable conditions, the keepers may be omitted without afiecting the operation of the 'opposite the first-mentioned arm to cooperate therewith in embracing a part of the gate, said second arm also having an integral, apertured ear, and being arranged for the apertures of the .ea'i-s toregisterwhenthe pivoted arm in said opposite position.' I v 2, In. a devicesof. the character described, a

, unitary'latch-element comprising a collar for its connectionwith a support, clamping means for the collar including a bolt, a projecting arm fixed on the collar, an arm pivoted on the bolt opposite the first-mentioned arm and cooperating there-- with to" form a barrier-embracing enclosure, the

movable arm having 'an opening to receive an operating bar, and the collar having-a flange forming a rest forthe pivoted arm."'-

*3. In a deviceof the character described, "a'

unitarylatch-element comprising a collar composed of two" sections bolted together for its application .to a support,- a projecting arm fixed on one of the sections, a movable arm pivoted on the other section opposite the fixed arm andcooperating therewithto form a barrier-embracing enclosure, and the collar having an apertured bracket forming a rest upon which the movable arm-is seated when in normal cooperative position in respect to the fixed arm, which said movablearm has "an apertured ,ear that cooperatively related to the ape'rturedfportion of the bracket when the movablearm isflseatedfupon the bracket. I

4. ma device or the character described, a

unitary'latch-element comprising a collar for its connection with a vertically extending support, clamping means-for securing the collar in place on said support, a laterally projecting arm fixed on the collar, and-an armfpivotallymounted on the collar opposite to and in cooperative relationship in respect to the first'mentioned arm to form a-barrier-embracing enclosure, thepivoted arm having therein a vertically extending opening to receive a vertically extendingoperating bar, and a'bar that provides a vertically extending member'that passes through said vertically extendingopening and which carries vertically spaced collar members between which the pivoted arm is located and by which the pivoted arm is caused to be moved according to the vertical movement of the rod. 

